THEY provide a lifeline for the sick and injured in our community – but in return for their help they are punched in the face, kicked, bit, sworn at, and racially and sexually harassed.
Figures obtained by The Press show the shocking dangers ambulance staff face when they answer a 999 call – but the figures have significantly dropped within the last year say the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, who promise they are doing all they can to reduce the risk of staff being attacked.
In the last year, one ambulance team was spat at and had racial slurs hurled at them, and another paramedic attending an emergency call was sexually assaulted while trying to help an injured man.
In total, the figures released by the ambulance service show that last year there were 229 reported cases of verbal and physical attacks against paramedics and ambulance workers.
Of this figure, 87 ambulance staff suffered verbal assault, 74 were assaulted without physical injury, and a further 44 were assaulted with an injury. However this figure has considerably dropped from the year before, when a total of 294 attacks were logged.
Of this figure, 141 ambulance staff suffered verbal assault, 100 were assaulted without physical injury, and a further 53 suffered attack injuries.
In June last year, a North Yorkshire paramedic was punched and kicked, suffering facial injuries and bruising to his arms and legs. An ambulance crew member was hit on the left hip and was verbally and racially abused by the offender who then urinated in the ambulance. In October last year, a paramedic attending an emergency in York suffered rib injuries after being kicked.
